Abortion Rights Blog

MPs call for compulsory Sex and Relationships Education

A cross-party inquiry into unplanned pregnancy, led by MPs Amber Rudd, Sandra Osborne and Lorely Burt, has called for the introduction of statutory Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in schools.

The report, published today, calls for a national strategy to tackle unplanned pregnancy, with key recommendations including comprehensive SRE with a focus on relationships, informed choice and self-esteem and the provision for consistent, equal access to contraception – particularly for older women.

Abortion Rights welcomed the report’s findings, saying:

“We are really pleased that the inquiry recognises that the provision of high-quality Sex and Relationships Education and access to contraception are key to reducing abortion rates as well as unplanned pregnancy.

All too often, restricting access to abortion is seen as the way to reducing the number of abortions which take place. This is not the case. All that achieves is to drive women to seek unsafe methods to end their pregnancies, or, particularly in the case of young women, to enter into early motherhood.

The combination of consistent contraception access and relevant relationships and sex education is the only way to bring down rates of unplanned pregnancy and abortion.

We call on the government to implement the inquiry’s recommendations and to incorporate them into its national sexual health policies.”